Energy Crisis in India and How to Mitigate It

The narrative around limited non-renewable sources of energy has been going on for decades but the recent energy crisis in India has proved to be a wake-up call. Fossil fuels are limited and come with an expiration date. However, such a sudden hit in the supply of coal was not anticipated.

The India Ratings and Research agency had registered a record-high surge in the electricity demand. India consumed 124.8 billion units in July 2021, the highest since July 2019. By September 2021, data from Central Electricity Authority revealed that several coal-fired thermal power plants (16 out of 135) ran out of coal stock. This pushed many major thermal power plants into critical and supercritical states by October 2021.

A worrying impact of the energy crisis can be seen on the power generation capacity of several states, including Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, and Tamil Nadu, as they turn to load-shedding to avoid a total blackout. Many of them are heavily industrialized states of India. Power outages due to coal shortage are a major concern for industries as they fear production setbacks.

Although the situation has improved, we still don’t have enough coal reserves. The only long-term solution to this problem is switching to renewable sources of energy such as solar, wind, biogas, ocean etc.

Consumption of Non-Renewable Energy by Industries

One of the biggest reasons for the energy crisis in India is that demand for electricity is greater than its supply, and it is growing continuously as we are a developing economy. The consumption of electricity by the commercial and industrial sector is high and it continues to grow. Why? Because India is still in its developing phase. Our industries need a constant supply of energy to carry out their operations. Most of this demand is met by the conventional sources like thermal. The transition to renewable energy, though happening takes time.

This energy consumption decreased during the second wave of Covid-19. This, however, was neither a relief nor a solution. Soon the economic activities revived, this time, at a more rapid speed to make up for the lost time. Thermal power plants faced higher-than-expected demand from industries that were focusing on making up for the lost time.

This increased consumption put extra pressure on the already operational non-renewable energy sector. We couldn’t feed the energy hungry industries despite having the fourth largest coal reserve in the world. Industries have realised that if we continue to rely on insufficient energy infrastructure, we will remain in this crisis for a long time.

Since we cannot ask the commercial sector to slow down, the heads have turned towards the solar power plants in India.

Other Reasons for Energy Crises in India

Lower domestic coal production is not the only reason for the energy crisis in India. 2021 saw heavy monsoon rains that caused floods. This put a pause on the mining of fossil fuels and the dispatch process.

India is one of the largest importers of coal after China. It is becoming increasingly difficult for India to secure enough coal because other countries are also facing the same crisis. Since demand is greater than supply, coal is becoming increasingly expensive as well. Since India cannot purchase coal as aggressively as other wealthier economies, the domestic demand-supply gap is increasing.

China too has aggressively increased its coal import quantity, inflating the international coal prices and giving another reason for the energy crisis in India.

For India, the financial cost to import coal is higher than ever. This has led to a greater shortage of non-renewable energy sources.

Why We Need to Switch to Solar Panels for Industrial & Commercial Needs

Could the current energy crisis in India be the push needed to make the switch from non-renewable energy sources to clean energy sources? Yes!

According to a recent report, solar power plants in India will attract great investments and solar power generation will become cheaper by up to 50 per cent than coal in India by 2040. Also, the cost of installing industrial solar panels and commercial solar panels has steadily reduced over the years, while the number of solar companies in India has increased.

The current global coal crisis is creating opportunities to decrease dependency on fossil fuels and to discover ways to adopt green and renewable energy. Switching to solar panels has many advantages for the commercial and industrial sector.

Non-renewable markets often see unpredictable price increases, which can increase their operational expenses. Installing solar panels in your industrial or commercial premises will create energy independence to some level as you will no longer depend on local power companies. Additionally, it is worth mentioning that choosing solar systems for businesses will bring them a step closer to sustainable development.

With unique models like SPAAS (solar power as a service) offered by Amplus Solar, you can practically leverage solar power with zero investment.

Starting Green Journey with Zero Cost Solar

Amplus Solar is among the top commercial solar companies in India. Determined to fuel India’s goal of producing more energy through solar and other green sources, we offer customized solar solutions that make the switch to greener energy sources easier for industries and businesses of all sizes.

We specialize in on-site solar solutions, including rooftop and ground-mounted solar plants. We also provide solar power through offsite solar solutions, via open access route. Our battery energy storage solutions and energy monitoring solutions allow our customers to focus only on the benefits of their solar panels. You get to experience savings from day 1 of the installation of commercial solar panels and industrial solar panels.

If you’re looking for a more sustainable and efficient solution for your energy needs and are contemplating solar energy, let Amplus Solar help you with effective solutions.